CALL TO ACTION! Things You Need to Do TODAY!ATX STAND UP!

Firstly lemme say that I have been on the road a bit this past week and slacked on email for about 48 hours, getting caught up now. Also, I am taking a bit of a break from Facebook and Twitter. Both sites are starting to make me feel real silly. I may turn this site here into my personal twitter page, fuck it. Short punchy bullshit, well I don't know. Maybe not.

ANYHOO! TONIGHT AUSTIN TEXAS YOU GOT TO BE AT THE ND! I done told you before and tonight is the night for - ALMOST FAMOUS! (Click flyer now to see full size)



The hottest hip-hop talent in Central Texas is coming together to WRECK! Mojoe, Blacklisted Individuals, Question?, Crew 54, Rochelle Terrell, DJ Scuba Gooding Jr., Henry and The Invisibles. This is going to be quite a night of music in one of the coolest new venues in town. YOU GOT TO BE THERE!

And then also today is the last day to vote in the Austin Chronicle's SOUNDWARS Competition. My peoples Riders Against the Storm are pretty close to winning but they need YOUR VOTES TODAY! So please CLICK THIS LINK HERE and get all the info and PLACE YOUR VOTE for Riders Against the Storm. One of the freshest new hip-hop groups in

Another Great Has PassedRest in Peace Harvey Pekar

People die every day, and honestly, I generally handle it pretty well. When it comes to celebrity deaths, I rarely care all that much. I feel for them the same way I feel for everyone else. And we all have our things that we go through.



Click here to hear NPR's All Things Considered Pekar Obit

But this one ranks right up there with John Peel. What John Peel was to presenting music to the masses, Harvey Pekar was to the literary world. In my eyes at least.

If that doesn't make sense to you, consider this. There was no man in the history of DJing music, that took a more pure approach than John Peel. No one. In that same regard, there was no man in the history of comic books that took a more pure and real approach to writing comic books.

Harvey Pekar & R. Crumb: Jazz And Comics

Harvey Pekar was from Cleveland, OH. Less than 100 miles where I am from. The same city that Bone Thugs and Harmony is from. I spent a lot of time in Cleveland in my high school years. I spent pretty much every penny I made washing dishes on records and going to see concerts. Many a day I'd hop in someones car and roll out to Cleveland to buy records at stores like Record Exchange, Record Revolution and a bunch of others that have long since passed. Then we'd end the day/night at a club like Peabody's Down Under, the Phantasy or the Agora seeing a show.

I wish I would have been hip to American Splendor back in those days, but I honestly didn't start reading him until 1998 when I started working for Dr. Wax. The owner Sam told me that Harvey Pekar had agreed to write jazz reviews for his DrWax.com website, and he turned me on to some of his jazz writings. My co-worker Scott Faingold pointed me in the direction of some of his comics, and I was immediately hooked.

I am not going to write too much about him here, as so many have written so much more, and so much better. So follow the links, watch the videos, and do yourself a favor and go buy a couple collections of his work.

Word to Montel Williams

Break it down for 'em brother.

Bun B - Trill OG Coming Aug. 3rd*updated tracklisting*

OK So I am a little late posting the track list for Bun B's Trill OG, which is nothing new for me. I don't even know what day or time it is right now. And I'm not even tripping.



1. Chuuch! feat. J. Prince (prod by Steve Below)
2. Trillionaire feat. T-Pain (prod by J.U.S.T.I.C.E League)
3. Just Like That feat. Young Jeezy (prod by Drumma Boy)
4. Put It Down feat. Drake (prod by Boi-1da)
5. Right Now feat. Pimp C, 2 Pac, & Trey Songz (prod by Steve Below)
6. That's A Song SKIT (Bluesman Ceddy St. Louis)
7. Countin’ Money feat. Yo Gotti & Gucci Mane (prod by DJ B-Do)
8. SpeakEasy feat. Twista & Bluesman Ceddy St. Louis (prod by Big E)
9. Lights, Cameras, Action (prod by Steve Below)
10. I Git Down 4 Mine (prod by Steve Below)
11. Snow Money (prod by Steve Below)
12 Ridin' Slow feat. Slim Thug & Play-N-Skillz (prod by Play-N-Skillz)
13. Let Em Know (prod by DJ Premier)
14. Listen SKIT (Bluesman Ceddy St. Louis)
15. All A Dream Feat. LeToya (prod by J.U.S.T.I.C.E League)
16. It's Been A Pleasure feat. Drake (prod by Boi-1da)
BUN B "TRILL OG" in stores August 3rd

Pretty excited to hear this whole set of course, but extremely excited to hear #8, 13 and 14. Wowzers.

I need to call Bun tho and ask him why he didn't get no Professor Griff feature though. That my boy right there.

Also very glad to see the home team getting so much shine on this one production wise.

Thursday Night! Marcia Griffiths + Tanya Stephens Live at Ace's Lounge in Austin!NOT TO BE MISSED!

That's right! Two incredible and legendary reggae voices gon' grace the stage at Ace's on July 8th.

Some of y'all won tickets last week here on AustinSurreal, the rest of you have to pay. Come out and support live, legendary reggae in Austin!

TONIGHT! Live in Austin: CAGE!

He was Eminem's arch nemesis back when the Slim Shady LP came out, and many, including me would argue that Cage is the better writer of the two. Both always came with the heavy lyrics from the darker side of their souls, but while Eminem shocked, quite often Cage to me would tell deeper stories. And tonight you can see him LIVE at The Mohawk.



His earlier work was some pretty straight ahead east coast hip-hop. I'll never forget the tape I got from Bobbito back in the early 90s that had a couple of songs from a group called Mudbones. This was Cage's group when he was in his mid-teens. Then I heard his verse on Pete Nice's solo album, and was pretty much sold on the kid. Though I really never went nuts for him.

Then his last album came out last year, Depart from Me, and I found myself listening to it almost daily. It's like, my kind of rap album. Serious lyrics, diverse sounds, forward thinking however introspective. It was a pretty perfect work of art that I think was probably slept on pretty heavily. This could be a great show and I'ma try to get out and see him.

G-Baby Kills 'Em Again on BET's Freestyle Friday!

Once again G-Baby from Austin, TX slays her opponent with an actual freestyle. Why don't any of her opponents freestyle? She straight smashed everyone she faced, and not one of them was even worthy to be on this shit, straight up. This dude today is out of his fuckin' mind coming on TV.

BET Videos

TEXAS HOUSTON ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR P SQUARE?Comin' at you live at the Independence Weekend

Real talk though! Nigerian R&B Stars P Square are performing in Houston this weekend! It's really goin' down!


I mean shit man, peep the videos below.


Ran into them at the spot and had to get a couple quick flicks.


Their show Friday night in Houston is brought to you by Big A Ent. and Ciba Ent. Shit is fuckin' real. At the Ayva Center, 9371 Richmond Ave. West Up.


With J. Martins. Click here for ticket info and more info on the show and the group.